Students persevere through difficult experiences to earn high school diplomas in county program

“It’s not part of the job description, but it is part of the job — it does come with the territory,” she said. “The teacher sometimes is the most constant thing that they know. When the parent is absent, you’re it. Once you get to that point, you know that the student trusts you.”

Angel Hernandez, who graduated from the National City campus, dropped out his senior year of high school but decided to finish.

Hernandez, 20, has a younger brother and 8-month-old daughter for whom he wants to be a role model.

Word said that while the sacrifice is great, the gain is without comparison.

“One day I had a student call me and say, ‘I just checked the mail and I want you to know that I passed my GED and you’re the first one to know,’ ” she said. “Those are the rewards — knowing that you helped someone out that somebody else gave up on.”

Senior Director Jose Manuel Villarreal told students to never forget their struggle as they move forward.

“You’ll be tested,” he said. “The question is will you make the right decision? I hope you don’t forget where you’ve come from and I hope you have a vision for where you’re going.”